Treatment of 2, 6-disubstituted-4-t-butylphenols with thallium (III) trifluoroacetate in either trifluoroacetic acid or carbon tetrachloride as solvent results in loss of the 4-t-butyl substituent as isobutene and formation in high yield of the corresponding 2, 6-disubstituted p- quinones. Possible mechanisms for this novel reaction, which probably proceeds via the intermediacy of a hydroquinone or hydroquinone mono-trifluoroacetate ester, are ...